1. Field of the Invention
This present invention relates an image forming apparatus such as a printer or photo copier, and more particularly, relates to an image forming apparatus having a developing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, when an image forming apparatus such as a printer or a copier is transported with developing devices, the developing devices or the image forming apparatus might be destroyed by vibration or shock, for example, because the developing devices are not fixed to the image forming apparatus.
Consequently, the developing device and the image forming apparatus main body are packaged separately, without mounting the developing devices into the image forming apparatus.
In this case, if the apparatus main body and the developing device are packaged separately in one container box, the transport efficiency is reduced because the container box is larger, and the transport cost of the container box is increased.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-327293 describes an image forming apparatus which has a toner cartridge package inserted and fixed in a sheet storage space of an image forming apparatus main body. However, the image forming apparatus main body requires more space than provided by the sheet storage space when the toner cartridge package is for color printing. As a result, both the apparatus and the container box are much larger.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-71671 describes an image forming apparatus having a regulating member intervening between an apparatus body and a developing device when the image forming apparatus body is transported while mounting the developing device.
In the case where the developing device is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body by using a regulating member as disclosed by Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-71671, each developing device requires a regulating member when the image forming apparatus has plural developing devices for color printing. The plural regulating members are costly and provide a low degree of usability for user because of the increased work needed to remove the plural regulating members.
If the image forming is operated without removing a regulating member, the image forming apparatus main body, the developing device, or the regulating member may be broken by force during operation because the image forming apparatus was run while being loaded with a pressure of the regulating member.
Moreover, if a user removes the developing device from the image forming apparatus with the regulating member mounted between the image forming apparatus main body and the developing device, the main body, the developing member, or the regulating member may be damaged. This is because the regulating member is almost the same size as the mounting space, or slightly larger. Thus, it is not user-friendly.
A conventional apparatus has been constructed to disable itself without removing the regulating member by using a detecting part for the regulation member. However, this design has an increased cost because of the detecting part, etc.